Prop Nathan White charges forward to score Connacht's opening try in their home win over Zebre at the Sportsground last weekend

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RaboDirect PRO12 Preview: Cardiff Blues v Connacht

Connacht's most recent visit to the Arms Park saw them claim a 26-22 win back in February. Will they be able to repeat that result and make it an especially memorable night for their 200-times capped back rower John Muldoon?

Pre-Match Quotes:John Muldoon (Connacht) - "I am very proud I am from Connacht and it has been a tough place to be - we have had a lot of bad days - but at the moment I am just concentrating on getting selected," he told the Galway Advertiser.

"There are young players raring to go, everyone wants to play this Friday against Cardiff, and there is certainly a lot of competition here now.

"I have been around a long time and had a good relations with both Eric (Elwood) and Brads (Michael Bradley), but when a new coach comes in, you have to knuckle down because he is going to give everyone a fair crack at the whip.

"I had a disruptive year last year with injury and loss of form towards the end of the season, but I have drawn a line under that and come back refreshed. If I perform well, and more importantly if the team performs well, there are six or seven lads looking to get involved in Irish teams.

"Cardiff made a lot of changes over the summer. They had a tough game against Glasgow and they will be thinking '4G pitch, let's run the legs off Connacht'.

"On the other side we got a good win, we're not entirely happy with the amount of errors, but hopefully we can put that right on Friday night."

Phil Davies (Cardiff Blues) - "We are coming up against a very good team in Connacht and they have brought in some very talented players during the summer. Craig Clarke, the former Waikato Chiefs captain, is a fantastic player and someone we've been aware of. He will galvanise the team.

"Pat Lam has taken over the coaching so I think there will be a slightly different emphasis in terms of the style of rugby they adopt. It will be a big challenge and we've got to perform well.

"Our ambition this season will be to put on a spectacle every time we play at the Arms Park and use the new surface to our advantage.

"We are trying to play an expansive style of rugby, but we also know we need to be effective with all facets of our game.

"What we must do is develop an all-round game that suits each and every occasion that we face. No matter what surface you play on, it's about having that balance in your game and being to execute it."

- Cardiff Blues gained a losing bonus point during their defeat in Glasgow last Friday night but have still only won one of their last eight RaboDirect PRO12 encounters

- The Welshmen have not lost their opening two games in the league since the 2009/10 season

- Connacht beat Zebre 25-16 at the Sportsground in round 1 and have been defeated just once on the road in their last four trips: 22-0 at Munster in March

- Connacht have won three of their last four encounters with Welsh regions. The westerners have beaten the Blues in just three of their 20 previous league meetings, but one of those was in this equivalent fixture at the Arms Park in February